April Fool

by mew-tsubaki

Oneshot, light slash. Before the year's end, Yahaba will have Hanamaki's answer. -—Or, the problem with loving the court jester. [YahabaHanamaki, onesided?KyoutaniYahaba] *non-linear timeline; light T; companion piece: "Cold Feet"*

April Fool

A Haikyuu! oneshot

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The Haikyuu! characters belong to Furudate Haruichi-sensei, not to me. Honestly, old ships die hard…or just rarely at all. Dx Read, review, and enjoy!

- ^-^3

It's a promise. A silly, seemingly flimsy one, but it's a promise nevertheless between Yahaba and Hanamaki.

It's after the Interhigh, after the loss to Shiratorizawa, when everyone's in low spirits. Even Oikawa has a tough time trying to lighten the mood, because he's too angry himself after losing to Ushijima yet again.

Hanamaki, usually quick to crack a joke, doesn't. But the urge bubbles up—just because the timing's inappropriate doesn't mean the joke will go away.

Yahaba senses his senior's sharp eyes on him before he even turns to look. Their eyes meet, Yahaba gives him a small nod of approval, and they end up dragging their feet when it's time to leave, offering to be the ones to do the sweep of the area and make sure nothing gets left behind.

When they're as good and alone as two people can be in Sendai City Gymnasium, Hanamaki releases a long, slow breath. Slowly but surely, his Cheshire grin returns to his face. "I think…," he draws out, "Oikawa will beat Ushijima the day I beat Iwaizumi at arm-wrestling."

Okay, so it's not the Joke of Jokes, but it elicits a tiny smirk from Yahaba anyway. Yahaba sticks his hands in his pockets and shrugs. "Maybe."

Not the reaction Hanamaki was hoping for, they both know. "What? Come on. Where's the quip?" the spiker asks, looking a little crestfallen.

Yahaba caves just like that. "Fine. It'll be the day I become as competent as Oikawa as a setter." He quirks one eyebrow and glances Hanamaki's way. "Happy?"

The grin returns, and Hanamaki bumps Yahaba's shoulder lightly with his fist. "Very."

It will be about two, three minutes tops, before they rejoin their team, and Yahaba lets his smirk crack a little. "…hey," he begins, quiet.

Hanamaki says nothing, indicating he's listening.

"With the Interhigh over…" They know the plans for the team. There's one more shot for them. "The spring high…" The setter chews on his lower lip for a second. "After the spring high, can we make a decision? Then. Not now."

Hanamaki mulls it over, shrugs, and nods. "Sounds fine to me."

The ball of anxiety that developed in Yahaba's chest as soon as he asked his question fades, and he smiles once more, even though the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "All right, then. Spring, it is. We'll talk after the tournament."

The older boy grins and tousles Yahaba's hair, his fingers lingering, running through it. And then his hand is gone. "We'll talk," he confirms.

So it's a promise. But Yahaba has yet to wish he hadn't gotten Hanamaki to make such a commitment.

- ^-^3

It's Yahaba's first year, and he can't wait to join Aoba Johsai's volleyball club. He knows Seijou has Oikawa Tooru, but he'll try his hardest to be Oikawa's reserve, to be a player the team can count on when Oikawa's not there.

Yahaba's reaction to Oikawa is normal. Oikawa is his senior, but he's also Yahaba's goal. Yahaba wants to be like him (well, on the court, that is).

Yahaba's reaction to his other senpai is pretty normal, too. Iwaizumi Hajime is an awesome up-and-coming ace—truly awe-inspiring. Matsukawa Issei's blocks are sturdy and strong, which conflict with how soft he is with the underclassmen. And Hanamaki Takahiro is quick on the court, so serious on the court.

It's strange, Yahaba supposes, to see him be whimsical like Oikawa.

Then again, maybe Yahaba shouldn't've had such a normal reaction to Oikawa. Everyone talks about how great he is…but he's a terrible flirt and a bit of a playboy—sometimes Yahaba sees even third-year girls dogging Oikawa's heels. But there's something that makes sense about the dichotomy that is Oikawa. Plus, Yahaba quickly learns, Iwaizumi balances Oikawa out, so maybe things just work out like that.

But Hanamaki? Yahaba respects his senpai, he does, but after holding it in for too many practices, he finally snickers at something ridiculous Hanamaki says to Matsukawa as the two second years tease Oikawa over some awful plays.

And Hanamaki, who apparently has sharp ears, spies Yahaba trying to smother his laugh. Instead of getting annoyed or defensive like some of their wound-up senpai, Hanamaki grins. "You like a good joke, do you, Yahaba?"

"Erm… I guess…as much as the next guy…?" Yahaba answers cautiously. Obviously expecting an answer, Yahaba wonders what hamsters turn the wheels in Hanamaki's head, as the older boy appraises him briefly, nods to himself, and lets his attention return to practice.

It's Yahaba Shigeru's first year at Aoba Johsai, and he doesn't even realize what has transpired.

- ^-^3

A text causes Yahaba's phone to vibrate in his pocket on the weekend. He's at the kitchen table, eating lunch with his parents, but there's little conversation as his mother's attention is on her piano magazine and his father catches up on his variety shows.

Still, the noise earns Yahaba a look from his mother, and he apologizes and excuses himself from the table, going to answer it. As he thought, it's from Hanamaki.

-Yooo. Come out and playyyy~

He's kidding, right? Hanamaki's always kidding…but Yahaba texts him back: -Where are you?

-Oz. Where's the wizard?

Yahaba's lips curve upward in a stupid grin. Go figure the spiker would say that. The joke is over a year old, and dates back to when Yahaba was getting to know his teammates. After Yahaba made a remark about never being able to beat Oikawa, Hanamaki said he had yet to beat Iwaizumi. Yahaba had said he knew Hanamaki was just being nice, but Hanamaki had insisted—"So we'll just have to make things happen for ourselves. Like in that movie, where the girl and her friends had their wishes all along." There was an added joke that Yahaba could definitely make things happen, Hanamaki had a feeling about that—hence, Yahaba was the wizard of Oz.

-Yooo, wizard~

The setter's reverie breaks at the third text, and Yahaba goes to his room. He changes into outdoor clothes, grabs a scarf and thick coat after he recalls how cold it's been recently, and returns downstairs. "I'll be back before dinner," he calls out to his parents from the foyer.

"Have fun," his dad replies, though Yahaba knows the man's concentration hasn't broken for a second. Yahaba could've said he was going to get married or was dropping out of school, and his dad still would've replied with "Have fun."

Shoes on, Yahaba exits and finds Hanamaki just outside the front gate. The setter calms down and hopes his cheeks come across as red only because of the cold temperature and not for any other reason. "Hey," he says, pulling the gate shut behind him.

Hanamaki grins in response and starts walking, not waiting for Yahaba to fall into step with him. "You took a while. Doing your makeup?"

"No," Yahaba replies with a dry look. "I had to get dressed. Excuse me for not having plans on this one day the coaches gave us off."

"Yeah, about that…" Hanamaki waits until they cross the road to continue. "It doesn't feel like a day off."

"What happened?"

"The usual. Oikawa and Kyoutani are like explosives while trying to get in some extra practice, Iwaizumi is getting dangerously closer to hurting both of them, and Matsukawa is sticking around, trying to keep Iwaizumi calm."

"I take it you didn't want to help."

"Nah, wouldn't be any fun. But," Hanamaki adds, walking a little closer to the younger male, "I knew hanging out with you would be."

It's annoying, how Yahaba's heart literally skips a beat before pounding a little faster, a little harder in his chest. He rolls his eyes. "Sure, sure… I take it we're going to the arcade, then?"

Hanamaki's expression says "Bingo." Even though it's useless for Yahaba, because he's no good at games outside of volleyball, but he muses that that's probably why Hanamaki invites him out sometimes like this. The arcade, or the music store, or some such place… Hanamaki keeps Yahaba around because he enjoys watching Yahaba's reactions to him, which somehow have yet to get old.

Yahaba amuses Hanamaki. So Yahaba tries to convince himself that everything between them is something of convenience, and that that's the only way they'll ever work.

- ^-^3

It's Yahaba's first spring high prelims. He's just as excited as the others—Watari's beaming just as much as he is, and the excitement of being there, even if they don't get to play, is enough to wash away the memory of Kyoutani's brief stint in the club.

Seijou comes close to beating Shiratorizawa, but it doesn't happen. The first years get their first glimpse of Oikawa's shaken walls that threaten to crumble, they learn, every time he suffers another defeat at the hands of Ushijima.

But there's something about the other second years. Something that says, "We're used to it by now," even though it's only their second time here. It's probably because Iwaizumi and Oikawa have known each other for so long, and Iwaizumi's presence calms the team down, gives them the hope that there's always next year, as much as Oikawa's depression would like to say otherwise. There's talk amongst the third years of making Oikawa captain, but Yahaba is one of the many who'd most certainly prefer Iwaizumi to lead them. Anyway, the other second years have got it together.

Yahaba is amazed by this and is still in awe even when practice resumes after the prelims are days-old and eventually week-old thoughts in their minds. He's envious of that attitude and wishes he could be cool like that, too—

Then Yahaba stumbles across Hanamaki and Matsukawa on the rooftop during lunch, and he pushes Watari behind him so the bubbly fellow doesn't catch their senpai's attention.

Hanamaki glares viciously at nothing in particular. "This blows," he growls to his friend.

Matsukawa sighs, shrugs, and glances up at the sky. "It…is what it is. Two years in a row—but there's no guarantee next year will be the same."

The spiker curses under his breath, definitely not in his usual joking mood. "Yeah…yeah, I guess."

"Hey, I'm gonna go grab something from the caf. Do you want anything?"

"Nah, I…" Hanamaki exhales, trying to deflate. "I'll see you later."

"All right." Though of course Matsukawa doesn't look convinced.

Yahaba barely has any time to process the situation when Matsukawa heads his and Watari's way. Therefore, they can't avoid him. However, Matsukawa stares at him and likely guesses that at least Yahaba overheard.

"First years aren't supposed to go near the roof," Matsukawa says simply.

"Ah, really?" Watari finally pipes up. "We should leave, then, Yahaba."

Matsukawa briefly raises his thick eyebrows but doesn't press them any further. He doesn't have to press Watari; the libero trots behind him on the way downstairs.

But Yahaba remains. He cracks the door open again and sees Hanamaki leaning on his hands on the railing, looking tired as hell. And he decides to engage him.

"Have you eaten yet, Hanamaki-san?"

Hanamaki peeks over his shoulder, but he doesn't try to hide his feelings. "Um…no. I mean, yes, I ate something."

Yahaba gives him a sympathetic half smile. "You did and didn't eat something? Sounds like Schrödinger's snack to me."

The older boy gives him an odd look, but Yahaba doesn't feel like explaining—besides, he's not one-hundred percent sure that he understood the concept from science when he first learned it yesterday. But he gets the gist of it. Just as he gets that this, too, is Hanamaki Takahiro. So his senpai isn't a slick, cool guy all the time. So be it. Yahaba finds that he rather likes learning this.

Best of all, Hanamaki doesn't try to hide it. And after a while, he asks what's in Yahaba's bento. With a chuckle, Yahaba shares his lunch.

Yeah. He really likes this other side of Hanamaki.

- ^-^3

Winter persists, and it feels as though Yahaba's second year just refuses to end.

It's hard watching the third years sometimes after losing to Karasuno. He long ago got used to the idea that his senpai are not just their idols but are people, too. But still…Oikawa is the first to withdraw. After deliberation, Iwaizumi does, too.

"Are you also withdrawing? The year's not over yet," Yahaba mumbles to Hanamaki as practice draws to a close one day and everyone cleans up.

"I'll leave if Matsukawa does" is Hanamaki's response.

Yahaba glances over at where Matsukawa stands, listening to Watari chatter away while they gather the net. Funny Hanamaki should say that; it doesn't seem as though Matsukawa's in any hurry to get out, judging by the content smile on his face at Watari's twittering.

"Ah, hey, are you free after this?" Hanamaki asks suddenly, snapping Yahaba back to the present.

The setter blinks at him. "Uh…I guess…but it's kind of late, Hanamaki-san. We should probably just head home."

Hanamaki shrugs. He doesn't press Yahaba…but he also doesn't try to brush the refusal off with a joke, as he's normally bound to do. That bothers Yahaba, and he tries to smooth things over by suggesting they walk partway home together.

The older boy agrees. When the point arrives where Yahaba turns off and Hanamaki keeps going, Hanamaki stops with him. Ah. So maybe he's lightened up a bit.

But then Hanamaki stares at Yahaba—an easy feat since he's only got about an inch on him. His lips are a thin, straight line, and his eyes are as sharp (and unreadable) as ever. He doesn't even close them as he kisses Yahaba just as the streetlamp flickers on overhead.

It's not as though they've never done this before, but Hanamaki's impulsiveness is something to which Yahaba is still becoming accustomed. That makes this kiss a tad hard to enjoy, and Yahaba, usually carefree about such things, gently pushes his senpai back. The lame remark "What if someone sees?" dies in his throat, though. "Goodnight, Hanamaki-san."

"'Night," Hanamaki says. But he stays there while Yahaba has to be the one to leave, and Yahaba glances back, noticing that Hanamaki only moves again once Yahaba's well on his way.

- ^-^3

It's the last day of classes before the holiday break, and somehow Yahaba and Hanamaki can handle eating outside. Granted, Hanamaki's all buttoned up in his school jacket with his hands stuffed in his pockets and he's even wearing the school sweater today, and Yahaba's buttoned up, too, and has a scarf wrapped around his neck and the lower half of his face. Still, there's something refreshing about the crisp winter air.

"Matsukawa chided me for coming out here, saying I'll catch my death," Hanamaki snickers.

"Yeah, Watari said the same thing to me before I left the classroom," Yahaba commiserates. He shrugs. "But…ah, well."

"You don't have to join me up here, you know," the spiker points out. He raises his eyebrows. "Behind your scarf, your nose is pretty red."

But Yahaba shakes his head. "No, no, I… I like coming out here for lunch."

"Suit yourself." But where before Hanamaki would just stare at the sky and contemplate whatever it is he contemplates or crack a few jokes or something, he now leans back against the railing, turned to Yahaba for conversation. "So how are the holidays likely to be with your family?"

"Meh, nothing much. My mother has a gig on Christmas, so Dad and I will be watching her play that night."

"Right, right, she's a pianist…" Hanamaki blinks. "Hey, do you play?"

Yahaba shivers. "A little. I'm not as good as her, but I was bound to learn it, the son of a concert pianist… I played the violin for a while, but the calluses you develop for that hurt more than ones you might get playing volleyball, so I stopped. I still go to the symphony every once in a while." He glances at the other male. "You?"

"Holidays are a lazy affair at my place, kind of like just another day. I wouldn't mind doing something else for once."

"What, like all-night karaoke?"

Hanamaki slides a look his way. "Or a symphony." His smirk is small, a bit teasing…but it's different from the ones Yahaba's seen before. What does it mean? Does it mean…?

Yahaba stares back at him, wide toasted brown eyes meeting tawny slits. A brief thought—"What's there to lose?"—crosses Yahaba's mind. The next thing he knows, he blurts, "Go out with me, then." It's a bold statement, let alone something probably inappropriate to essentially demand of a senpai.

The spiker's eyes widen. Ah. He wasn't expecting that.

Yahaba fumbles to elaborate. "I like you, Hanamaki-san. The joker, the cool senpai, the lazy student, the frustrated you—I like all of it." Oh, shit. Yahaba feels a sense of a relief at the same time he feels the desire to be swallowed up by the concrete right about now.

Hanamaki's lips are a thin, straight line, and his eyes are sharp and unreadable. But he pushes off the railing and stands right in front of Yahaba. He tilts his head down. "Close your eyes."

He does as he's told because he's so jumpy right now, and Yahaba tries desperately to recall ever having seen Hanamaki angry. Did he get angry? Ever? If so, how does he handle it? Does he yell, fight—

Hanamaki kisses him. It doesn't register right away with Yahaba that it's a kiss, because it's clumsy at first and then sweeter, like what one expects from two people in love getting better at such things. When the kiss is over and Yahaba opens his eyes, Hanamaki gives him a little glare and unwinds Yahaba's scarf.

"What?" Yahaba chances.

"It's your fault," Hanamaki explains, as if that says everything. But he wraps the scarf around his own face, which deepens with color. He's trying to hide his face, and the more he does so, the wider the smile on Yahaba's face grows.

There's nothing else to say in that moment. So Yahaba merely notes how cute his senpai is when he's flustered.

- ^-^3

Hanamaki stares at him on the twenty-seventh of January, his hand still on the door handle. "But…"

Yahaba gives him a look. "'But' what? Don't give me that. It's your eighteenth birthday, Hanamaki-san. I thought I'd surprise you."

"Oh, uh…" Hanamaki's flustered, but it's not the kind that makes Yahaba smile. It's the kind that wears thin, because Yahaba was certain he had texted Hanamaki about dropping by that weekend on the older's birthday.

"Makki!" Oikawa calls from inside. "Come on! It's your turn!"

Hanamaki glances over his shoulder, probably in the direction of the living room. Then he turns back to Yahaba.

Yahaba sighs. "I get it. You have the others over. I'll leave." He turns to go.

"Yahaba—"

The setter pauses.

Well, that's a new look on Hanamaki's face. Is that a tinge of hopelessness Yahaba sees in his expression? "Sorry…," he finally says. "Maybe later?"

"Sure," the younger boy replies, and he walks away while he still feels like a winner—well, as much as one can in that situation.

And Yahaba tries to hold on to that feeling, that state of mind as club activities become very much the same. It's as though things began so warmly between him and Hanamaki and grew commonplace and now there's nothing left but a chill in the air.

Even Kyoutani's cooling off. "…feeling all right?" he actually asks Yahaba during clean-up one day. Of course, with his face, it still seems like a threat, but Yahaba can't be bothered to get into it with the brat at the moment.

"Peachy keen," Yahaba replies, and he completely misses the concern that softens that hard countenance.

- ^-^3

They don't often talk about it, them going out. But Hanamaki's full of commentary right at the beginning.

"It doesn't seem so different from a guy and a girl dating, y'know," he says to Yahaba once classes resume in their second and first years, respectively.

"It doesn't, does it?" Yahaba agrees. "It's like…I like doing all the things with you that regular friends do."

"Mm," Hanamaki confirms. The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, and they wend their way back indoors. But in the shadow of the stairwell by the door to the roof, Hanamaki tugs Yahaba into his arms and traps him there for a good two minutes. "And yet I want to do all the things with you that regular friends would never do," he exhales by the setter's ear.

Yahaba's mind fuzzes. He's too aware of everything in that second—that the late bell will ring at any moment, that he's never been one of those hormonal teens before…that Hanamaki's arms are thicker, stronger than his and keep him well rooted to the spot. And that's kind of nice. "I guess I can be late just this once," he mumbles.

Hanamaki's approval is kind of garbled when their mouths meet.

- ^-^3

Someone's hand is in his hair, and it makes him jolt.

"Sorry," Kyoutani says, though it's hard to tell if he means it or not. "Bug in your hair."

Yahaba gives him a dry look. "Ah…thanks, I guess…"

Kyoutani stomps back to practice, and Watari passes the captain a towel. "Something wrong, Yahaba?" the libero asks.

The setter thinks. It's February… "No, nothing. Hey, we haven't seen any bugs yet."

Watari laughs at him. "What? Of course we haven't. It's February, man! Maybe practice is addling your brain."

Yahaba glances at Kyoutani, though. It's not his brain that's addled.

- ^-^3

"Really…" Yahaba sighs during the early summer of his second year. He sits on the stoop outside Aoba Johsai's gym. "We're getting overrun with Kita-Dai alum."

Hanamaki laughs and takes a swig from his water bottle. "Don't mind it. If anything, the better for us, since Oikawa and Iwaizumi know how to play with them."

"I guess…"

Hanamaki offers his water bottle, which Yahaba takes (only letting that girly fantasy of the mythical indirect kiss zip through his thoughts for a millisecond). "It's nice, though, having their kouhai join us."

"Yeah…" Yahaba smiles. "Hey. What if we had gone to the same middle school?"

Hanamaki looks at him very seriously, though, and he sits down beside Yahaba, closer than they normally would with the others around. "Then…I would've known you sooner."

Yahaba's toes curl happily in his sneakers. Hanamaki really is a sly guy.

- ^-^3

It's late March. Hanamaki didn't keep one promise: Matsukawa's the only senior still going to club.

He also didn't make any plans for Yahaba's birthday on the first, but at least he sent him a nice text. Yahaba still has it saved and looks at it before sending a different, unrelated text to his senpai: -Rooftop? Tomorrow?

Hanamaki doesn't reply. He doesn't need to—they're both aware of the other promise, the one Hanamaki has to keep.

- ^-^3

One month before his second Interhigh, Yahaba has a thought.

He's really fallen for Hanamaki. He knows it. But this is high school, and there does exist life beyond high school. He knows that.

But he also really enjoys being around Hanamaki. They don't even have to be touching—he just enjoys the older boy's presence. And he'd like that to last.

But that doesn't change the fact that Hanamaki will be graduating in the spring. Other things are bound to change, too.

Yahaba thinks these things while looking at Hanamaki, a small, sad smile on his lips. Yahaba might be a carefree guy, but he's practical, too, and he's giving this relationship some serious thought.

He just hopes Hanamaki is, too.

- ^-^3

Hanamaki has lost heart.

That's all that runs through Yahaba's mind and what chills his bones when he goes to the roof and finds himself alone.

Hanamaki never came. He probably wasn't going to come. Maybe he wasn't as in to Yahaba as Yahaba was with him. Maybe the loss to Karasuno compacted other problems or some such. Maybe Hanamaki is a cool guy, a joker, a flawed person—and a coward.

Whatever the case, Yahaba takes Hanamaki's absence as his answer.

Yahaba takes several deep breaths, trying to calm his emotions. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. He wants to cry. He needs to put his phone in his pocket—his phone that has no texts from a former lover—before he breaks the device in his grip. He has to return to class, and he has to forget everything because the seniors graduate tomorrow and it's April the day after that and time hasn't stopped for Yahaba just because Hanamaki's no longer there.

The tears threaten to come out, and Yahaba swipes at his eyes anyway. Goddamn it. Just how hard did he have to fall in this first love?

"Oi."

Yahaba straightens up. Not a voice he was expecting to hear, or a face he wants to see right now. "Yes?" he says quietly. He can't trust his voice right now.

"Watari's looking for you," Kyoutani states. "Says you brushed him off, eating lunch together. He thought you were upset with him."

Yahaba takes a breath. "Not with him," the captain supplies. It occurs to him that maybe that response gives away too much, but he's quickly realizing how easy it is not to care anymore. Because if he continues to care, the deeper a hole he's going to dig for himself. Once he's sure he's fine to return to class, he turns in Kyoutani's direction. "Where's Watari?"

"Checking behind the gym, in case you were practicing," the wild child answers. His grimace isn't set as strongly today.

"What?" Yahaba hopes it's not something about his face. Shit. He really can't go back to class if he looks like a mess.

Kyoutani twists his mouth around, scowls, and growls. "It's no use, you know. Waiting for Hanamaki."

Yahaba is and isn't surprised that Kyoutani says this. Maybe he figured them out, maybe it's a good guess—who knows? But a part of Yahaba remains indignant about the whole thing. "That's 'Hanamaki-san.' You're being disrespectful towards our senpai again," the captain remarks as he brushes past Kyoutani.

Kyoutani grabs his arm and, thinking it's too much, lessens his grip. Wow. Kyoutani trying to be in control of himself! Who'd ever thought the day would come? "Yeah, maybe I am," he retorts.

Yahaba looks at him. Kyoutani's eyes are actually soft as he stares at Yahaba, and it's a softness Yahaba appreciates. It's a softness that makes Yahaba muse that perhaps the timing was right for Kyoutani to return to the club.

And, as Yahaba gently shakes Kyoutani loose and finds Watari all the while having Kyoutani dog his heels, Yahaba wonders if all these changes are all right, and if he might return that softness in the future….

- ^-^3

WELL. Hell. D: Hanayaha/Yahahana was one of my earliest OTPs and I still love them, but the angst with them is so good, too, especially since we got a taste of Yahakyou from the manga… CAN I JUST SHIP IT ALL? THAT'LL DO. Also, Matsuwata because cuuute. -w- I just can't function after this fic, though… I think Hanamaki got cold feet, though! Yahaba, he still loves you~! D: But then I want to ship Yahakyou, too… -_-; *dilemmas* I wanted Hanamaki's POV, so I wrote "Cold Feet"—please read that, too, if you'd like the other side of the story!

Thanks for reading, and please review! Check out my other fics if you enjoyed this!

-mew-tsubaki :')